Too Late
by IchikawaTheColdEye
Summary: For 15 years the brothers go through life without knowing what really happened that night or were their brother went. Then one night after being taken by the Foot they may get the chance to know some answers to their many questions...
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone out there! I'm back with a new story. Hope you Enjoy it!

_Those that have read A Great Lost, don't worry, I will update as soon as I can and when the writing block is gone and I know what's gonna happen. __In the mean time, you have this one._

* * *

**Too Late**

**Chapter 1: Morning After**

Arguing voices could be heard from behind the door to Master Splinter's privet chamber. It was more muttering and growling sounds rather than words, but once in a while a shout loud enough for all in Manhattan to hear it came from behind it.

Raph, Mikey and I were sitting in the main room on the couch, listening as well as we possibly could. The volume on the TV low and barely noticeable. I was looking at the door, unconsciously thinking that I would hear better by looking at it. Mikey was also looking at it, seriousness all over his face. His whole body tense and still, almost like if he moved he would go deaf. Raph was facing the screen, his back against the door. He had his arms folded against his plastron in a defensive position listening sharply.

We had been watching a movie when Master Splinter had told Leo that he wanted to talk to him. Leo who had not been watching the movie with the rest of us injured turtles with common sense, well, that's just me, Mikey and Raph didn't really have a choice because they had either a sore leg or shoulder after been and needed the rest. Instead he had been in the dojo, training, despite that I had told him to take it easy or he would pull the stitches. But no, not Leonardo who thought that training was more important than anything else, yes I'm a bit annoyed about it all. But still, I'm a bit worried about him. Lately he has not listened at all and has been more stubborn and hotheaded than Raphael. So you could imagine how annoying that has to be with two hotheaded brothers, isn't one enough? Leo would lose his temper at all times and no one wants to be the target for that.

Master Splinter was the only one that confronted Leo when he was that way. Normally he was the one that could calm him, help him with whatever was bothering him. But whenever Splinter was in the same room as Leo, he would narrow his eyes in anger and left the room as quickly as he could.

"DON'T YOU THINK I TRIED THAT?" Leo's voice yelled from behind the door.

"YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR BROTHERS SELF BEING AND YOURSLEF'S!" Splinter's harsh voice yelled and then their voices went down to muttering and growling once more.

"Leo's real mad this time…" Mikey said, his voice a bit withdrawn from my left. "I don't think I've heard him yell at Master Splinter like this before."

"Leo's gone mental, that's for sure or he has a death wish for yelling like that" Raph said bluntly but the nervousness could be heard in his voice.

Something was defiantly going on between our oldest brother and father. Leo had never been this angry with our sensei and father, and not without us not knowing what the hell was going on. But I had a small guess part of it has to do with our continuing failure these past weeks.

Even though we didn't really know what it was all about, at least we knew what Splinter wanted to talk about this time. He wanted to know what had happened on our topside run last night and why we came home battered and injured. We had run into a gang of Purple Dragons and they were really happy to see us after the last time we had run into them and barley come out alive. And the day before yesterday we had run into the Foot clan and had to make an escape from them.

We really have had a bad luck lately; we've lost more battles these last two weeks than won them.

"Leonardo" Splinter's harsh voice could be heard from his room and we all turned our heads towards the door as it slide open with much force. Leo stepped out and went towards the door to the lair, his whole body language said that he was furious and needed some time to be alone to cool off.

Splinter came out after him but stopped just outside his doorway to see the door close behind Leo. He gave a grievance and wearily sigh as he stood there looking at the door a few seconds before turning to us. We all got panic expressions and turned quick towards the TV that had barely any sound at all.

"I will be in my room meditating" Splinter said behind us and went into his room and slide the door closed.

"Should we go after him?" Mikey asked curious.

"Nah, let Fearless cool off some" Raph said and took the remote so he could turn up the volume.

"Isn't that your department?" Mikey teased. "Ouch!" He looked at Raph who put his arm back on the backrest of the couch.

I woke up from my deep sleep by the poking and shaking on my arm and my name being said over and over again. It was really annoying. My first thought was that it was Mikey that had fell out from his bed and landed on his sore shoulder and injured it even more, typical Mikey.

"Wht?" I mumbled while sitting up a bit amazed that I was sleeping in my own bed in my room. I looked up with tired eyes on what woke me up expecting to see Mikey. My eyes widening once I saw the blood on my oldest brother's face and body, the tiredness forgotten. "Leo what happened to you?"

"I need you to redo the stitches for me" He said bluntly. I guess he was still angry.

"What did you do?" I asked while climbing off the bed.

"Would you just do it already?" He was losing his patient fast.

"Fine" I said, staring to get angry myself.

We went into the infirmary/lab. I still hadn't gotten a room for it yet much to my disappointment. You should try working on some chemicals while having a brother or two complaining none stop how boring it is to lie in one of the beds doing nothing.

"Sit down on the bed" I ordered while walking up to cabinet to get the stuff I needed to clean the wound and to redo the stitching. For the first time this week he did what someone else told him to do, well, Leo really don't like needles and he don't want me to be angry with him once I started. Too bad for him that I already was. His attitude hasn't been the best lately and it was starting to get a old.

I went back to the bed and put a chair in front of him and sat down. I looked him over once more and saw that there were a few new cuts that I had to stitch after redo the one he pulled. In the light he looked like half of him had taken a bath in blood. Most of it had dried already, only the deepest cuts were still bleeding.

"The blood isn't mine, at least not all of it" He said in a scowl before I even had the question in my mind.

"Then who is it?" I asked not really sure if he would answer or not.

Much to my surprise he did. "Some punk. I didn't kill him, he did it just fine by himself" He said once again before I could ask.

I didn't ask more cause clearly he didn't want to tell me, and he didn't talk more either. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what had happened. I didn't think that Leo would kill someone, if not in self-defense or by saving someone else. Leo had always been the kind of guy that takes killing at a last resort. But lately you just couldn't be sure.

Leo almost fell asleep right there on the bed, the jolts of pain was the only reason that kept him from losing consciousness. I gave him some pain killers, helped him to bed much against his reluctant and then I went back to bed, trying to get a few more hours of sleep before morning practice.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

Hi again! What a treat, I'm updating already. =D Thanks for reviewing, it's very much appreciated, and thanks for liking the story so far.

* * *

**Too Late**

**Chapter 2: A Nightmare**

When I woke up the next morning and went down to make breakfast, I thought that some scramble eggs was going to make this day perfect, it's the perfect breakfast ever. Well the eggs always end up like that anyway, so why fight it? They guys was so going to sing and dance for that, literally, Raph's going to sing and dance, just not the way you think. He hates scramble eggs. As I said, the perfect breakfast ever.

When I came into the kitchen I was surprised to see Raph and Don already up, and they already made breakfast, what a bummer. But hey, pancakes, I'm not saying no to that. That's the second best breakfast ever. Especially when Don have cocked them, he makes them just the way I like them.

"Pancakes, pancakes" I sang while fetching a plate and sat down by the table and begun digging in. "How come there's pancakes?" I asked with a mouthful of the delicious pancakes from heaven.

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I could make breakfast" Donny explained from behind yesterday's news paper. "Besides, everyone here is sick and tired of scramble eggs"

"How can someone be tired of scramble eggs? It's like the-"

"-only thing that you can't mess up" Raph injected grouchy.

I was about to defend my most outstanding cooking skill but didn't have the chance before Master Splinter came into the kitchen.

"Good morning my sons" He said but in his voice even I could hear that it wasn't a "good" morning. We all looked up at our father and I think he got like ten years older since last night, if that's even possible, I had to ask Donny about it later.

"Morning sensei" We said in chorus.

"I see you have done your delicious pancakes Donatello" He said and smelled the pancakes.

"Yes, I woke up early and couldn't sleep" He explained once again and stood up. "Sit down sensei and I will get you a plate."

"Thank you my son" Splinter sat down on the chair next to me and Donny gave him the plate and sat right back down. "Has your brother returned?" He inquired firmly while looking at each of us in turn. I shrugged my shoulders as his glance reached mine.

"Yes, he came in between four or five" Don said while looking at the clock.

"I see" Our father said much in thoughts.

We looked at him, we all wanted to know what was going on between our father and brother, but no one dared to ask. We had all our bad days with Splinter, hey we're teenagers, all teenagers argue or rebel against their parents sometimes. Or else it's not just normal. So I guess Leo was in that phase now, a bit too late according to me. But instead of sort it out through over the years like normal people, in our case turtles, he has to take it all out at one period of time and make it feel like hell for the rest of us.

"I had to redo the stitches when he got back," Don started and had a frustrated and serious expression on his face. I had a pretty good guess why Don woke up early. It wasn't really a news that Leo would pull a stitch cause we all knew he would do it sometime when he's training all day and going off by himself, doing gods know what. Let just say that it was expected.

"And half of him was soaked in blood" He continued and now that got our attention.

"His own?" Raph spoke up surprised and the frustration clearly start glowing in his face. Almost like, why didn't you tell me sooner. No matter how much he denies it, whenever someone of us has got hurt, he shows his caring side. Pretty funny that it has to go that far for him to soften up.

"He said that it wasn't his, and most of it wasn't. Of course some of it was, he had a few new cuts and bruises, but they weren't serious."

"Well, that is indeed good to hear" Again Splinter got that thoughtful look.

"What is going on with Leo?" Raph asked harshly, almost demanding. Clearly he's on the edge of his patient, and that's when I know that I should keep my distance. I'm normally the one that get the strike when ever his like that.

"Your brother is simply just rebelling." Splinter said trying to sound calm. But the look on his trouble face told us that it was something more than that. It has to be something real serious if not even Master Splinter can keep an even face. He stood up. "When your brother awakes, tell him I require speaking to him"

"It can take a while" Don said. "I gave him some pain killers and put some sleeping pills in there too. He needed the sleep badly."

"When he awakes" Splinter repeated before turning and walking out of the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. "I will be meditating and do not want to be disturbed"

Splinter disappeared and I meet Raph and Don's serious glaze.

"Splinta Junior's in trouble" Raph said putting on a pleased smile, but not even a kid would believe it. He was worried just like the rest of us. Something big was going to happen, I could feel it in my bones. And I didn't like it.

The whole day past and Leo hadn't woken up or he just didn't want to come down. We had left him alone all day. Don said that he would sleep almost of the day so no one thought it was necessary to go and check on him.

Practice had been cancelled, not that I know how good we would do cause we were still sore after the run in with the Purple Dragons. But luckily I didn't have to think about that. Instead I had had a handful of things to do, like watching all X-Men movies, including the one about Wolverine. I've been chased around the lair by Raph after trying to put a prank on him, well as much as his sore leg allowed, breaking some stuff in Don's lab while trying to avoid being killed, being lectured by Don, and I've read my whole collection of Justice Force. A very, very busy day.

When it was time for bed, Leo had still not come out from his room. I was really worried about him and wanted to go and check on him, but Raph told me not to.

"Just leave him be" He said before slamming his door shut. Obviously he's still mad about my little prank and making him also get a lecture from Don.

Well the bed was calling, almost screaming for me to climb into it and lay under the covers. Yes, I would have a good night sleep and tomorrow everything would be back to normal, perfect. I could at least hope.

I was driven from my sleep by a metal sound and shouts. The tiredness left me pretty quickly when I realized that there was a fight going on. I could clearly recognize the voices and it scared me half to death. Literally jumping out of bed, I stumbled out of my room to look at the scene down in the main room. My first thought was that I wasn't haring correctly and that it was Leo and Raph that was fighting again, but both Don and Raph emerged out of their rooms just as frightened and misbelieving as I was from the scene. This was bad.

Clearly Leo was awake and Splinter had waited up for him so they could talk. I guess something didn't go exactly as sensei had expected cause Leo's eyes was burning with fury and they were fighting, and when I say fighting then I mean a real fight.

The fight was intense and I was amazed by how well Leo could keep up with Sensei. The metal collided in a high sound echoing through the lair. Master Splinter had one of Leo's swords defending himself against Leo's other sword that hit hard and powerful. Leo definitely wanted it back, and badly. I could see it in his eyes. Master Splinter may be good at nin-jutsu and stuff, but cause he's so old he doesn't really have the strength anymore, and he couldn't hold it long when Leo pushed all his strength in it.

I stood like paralyzed on the second floor, watching the fight. I didn't know what to do and I was scared. Could Leo really kill Master Splinter? He sure looked like he could, and would.

"Should we do something?" I asked unsure if I should speak at all, or if Leo or Splinter would hear me and lose concentration and get a blow from the other. When I didn't get an answer I turned my eyes from the fight to look at my other brothers. Don looked confused and not sure what to do, almost like he was waiting for Splinter or Leo to tell him that they were just practicing. He was just as scared as me. Raph looked at the fight with a stony expression and intense eyes. He had his arm unconsciously on his sai by his belt and the other was holding on the railing. But he wouldn't move either, maybe he was scared that if he interfered something would go wrong and someone would get killed.

"Leonardo!" Splinter's harsh but trembling voice spoke up.

I heard the sound of metal clashing on the floor and I turned my head to look down on the scene once again. I was shocked to find Master Splinter on the floor with the tip of Leo's katanas against his throat. Leo looked down on him with cold eyes.

We were all about to go into action before Leo would do something really stupid, of course he had already done something stupid, but I mean stupid like, well like killing our sensei and father. He would never forgive himself if that happen and if he ever went back to normal. We jumped down to the first floor, about to interfere but we stopped in a dead halt when Leo pointed his other katana against us, still watching sensei with intense eyes. He knew that he couldn't take his of off Splinter if he wanted to remain having the upper hand.

Raph moved closer him and the sword was pointed at him. "Leo what the hell are ya doin'?" Raph demanded, venom in his voice, not caring that he almost had a sword up against his throat.

"Yeah Leo stop this" Don said pleading, moving a bit closer to Master Splinter.

Leo who stood right in front of the door took down the sword he was pointing at Raph and opened the door quickly returning the sword up against Raph throat when he took a step closer. He was still holding the other one at sensei and was watching him. I felt myself go pale when I realized what he was going to do. He was going to leave.

"Guys, I'm sorry" He said coldly. He gave us all a quick look, hurt and sadness was now in his eyes. But as soon as he looked back at Sensei he had the stony cold gaze again. "But I've had enough"

He quickly pull the door handle again so it would close and he ran out just as soon as the door was about to shut close. Raph leaped forward as soon as the sword was gone from his throat to the door, trying to slip through before it closed but didn't make it.

"LEO" He shouted and started slamming on the metal door. "LEO COME BACK HERE"

Don had gone straight to Master Splinter so see if he was hurt. But as far as I could see he didn't have a scratch on him.

"Raphael" Splinter said firmly, making Raph stop from what the hell he was doing. Apparently he was about to open the door to run after Leo.

"But Masta' Splinter we have to"

"No" Splinter cut him off.

"We have to go after him" he pushed with a growl.

"You will do no such thing" Splinter spat furiously. He was really mad now, almost exploding. He stood up, looking intense and severely at each one of us, making us drop our gaze from his. "From this day forward, Leonardo is no longer a member of this clan"

"WHAT?" We all looked up at our father and sensei more shocked than ever before.

"None of you is going after him, have I made myself clear?"

All I could do was nod. I didn't trust my voice and this whole situation was scaring me. I wanted to go back to sleep, this was just a nightmare. A bad, real bad nightmare, nothing more. When I wake up Leo will be there acting like the real Leo and he would tell me that it was just a nightmare and everything is okay, normal. I wanted to pinch myself, but I was in shock and my body wouldn't move. Instead I bit my lower lip and bit it harder and harder, feeling the pain but didn't want to acknowledge it cause it was all a dream. Leo once told me that you can't feel pain in your dreams, it doesn't exist there. A salty taste entered my mouth and I realized that I had bitten a hole in my lip.

This was so not a dream.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

**Please Review, it helps me going and I like knowing what you think about it!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! Thanks for all your reviews, it really helps me going! =D

**

* * *

**

**Too Late**

**Chapter 3: Lost a Brother**

I went up on the roof to get a break. I couldn't take the silent grieving treatment that was going on in the apartment much longer. It felt like it had been the longest twenty-four hours in the world's history, at least since Master Splinter died. April had gone into her bedroom to grieve in privet, we could all hear her through the door and it hurt knowing that you couldn't do anything about it. Casey sat alone in the kitchen and was staring at nothing. He was still in shock and in denial and wouldn't say a word. Once Raiya had gotten the terrible news, she had start yelling and screaming that it wasn't true and she had run out of the apartment. Mikey and Donny wanted to go after her, but April had told us to let her be, and so we did. They had sat down on the couch and looking pleading at me to tell them what they should be doing. The blame was written in both of my brothers' faces and they were thinking exactly the same as I was thinking. I didn't know what to do or what to say so I had kept my mouth shut. I didn't know what to do in these situations, it was only the second time that it was on me. Being the leader really sucked more than I first had thought.

If we only had arrived a few minutes earlier then we could have saved him.

I listened to the sound of the city, it was so much better than the silence and it calmed me a bit. It didn't have the effect that I wanted because I still felt the anger and rage. I wanted to find the Foot and destroy every last one of them once and for all. I imagined how I would kill them all and how much I would hurt Shredder before I killed him for all the things he had done and made my family suffer. I've hated that man ever since I was fifteen and I promised that one day I would kill him.

My fist collided with something hard and my brain registered the pain. I realized that I had just hit the wall and were still holding it against the cold concrete. I was so used to it that I didn't give it a second thought. When I got angry I needed to punch something, I needed to act and not think. I punched my other fist against the wall. How the hell did it happen? I punched again. He wasn't the kind of kid that would end up in a fight. Another punch. He was too much like his mother. Another one. Only a few minutes earlier and we could have saved him. The last punch and the fist stayed there. Blood dripped down on the roof from both of my hands.

I had failed.

"Raph? What are you doing?" a familiar raspy voice asked from behind me. I took down my fists but my shoulders were still stiff cause of the anger. "Are you OK? You're bleeding."

"I'm fine" I lied and turned around. Her cheeks were wet and the eyes were red and teary. She was holding herself and rubbed her arms a bit while shaking. She was freezing and tired and didn't have a jacket. I was shaking a bit too, but I wasn't sure if it was because of the cold or if it was because I had punched the crap out of a concrete wall. For a minute there I had forgotten that it was late autumn. "How're ya coping?" I asked. Kind if a stupid question.

"How do you think I'm coping?" She asked me, her voice still raspy but angry. "My brother is dead, he's dead."

"I know" I said, the guilt bubbling up once again.

"No, you don't" she yelled. "I've lost my brother, I'm never gonna see him again and IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"What?" I was starting to get angry again. Blaming myself and taking the blame was one thing, but when someone blamed me I never took it well no matter the situation.

"YOU AND YOUR STUPID BROTHERS" tears had started to trail down on her cheeks. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP HIM, NOT GET HIM KILLED"

"HEY WAIT A MINUTE…"

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT" She leaped at me and starting hit me on my chest. It was hard and it hurt in the beginning. "You killed him, he got killed because of you…" I calmed down once I figured that she was in pain and she needed someone to blame. And it sort of was our fault her brother died. She was fourteen years old and she had lost her brother, her only brother. When I was fifteen I almost lost a brother, but he came back only to leave again two years later and then a few months after that I lost my father and sensei. I kind of knew how she felt, cause I had felt it too.

The hits became softer and not as many. She was crying hard now and then she put her arms around me.

"Let's sit down" I said as soft as I could manage, but it sounded a bit rough. She let go of me and we sat down, leaning our backs against the wall. Raiya was sobbing and I didn't know what to say to her. I looked up at the sky, it was cloudy and the rain was in the air.

"I'm gonna miss him" she said after a few minutes of silence. "Can you tell me what happened?"

I took a deep breath before I looked down on her. Her face was emotionless and her eyes looked lost and tired. "Ya sure ya wanna know?" She gave me a nod but didn't look up from what she had her eyes on. I wasn't sure if I should tell her, what to tell her, or how it would make a difference. This wasn't my area of expertise, it was more a Donny area or Leo if he hadn't left fifteen years ago. I didn't know what to say and I tried many times before I just stopped think about it and told her. "Mikey, Donny and I were out on a run and we got a call from Kevin. He said he was in trouble and needed our help. Once we got there we saw a few Foot ninjas and…" I could feel her eyes watching me and I met her eyes. "He got stabbed before we could intervene."

Her eyes were still lost and she dragged her gaze away from mine. "They killed him? Why? He never did something to anyone."

"He helped two people." She looked at me once again. I was kind of surprised that she was calm. "We think that the Foot were after those two and your brother tried to help them."

"Were the other two there when you got there?"

"No"

"Then how do you know he helped them?"

"Before he passed out he asked us about them. But they weren't there"

She sat quiet and kept her eyes on the city. Kevin had put up a fight against the Foot, there were some defeated dead ninjas lying on the ground once we got there. The only problem was that they had been cut down with a sword and Kevin wasn't skilled in using such a weapon. Both he and Raiya had been trained by us ever since they were children. April and Casey had insisted because of the enemies we had. Kevin knew how to use a sword but he wasn't that skilled so he could kill five Foot soldiers and keep of a few others and en elite. Someone else had killed those guys.

Kevin got cut down when we got there and we jumped into the fight and managed to defeat those that didn't get away. Kevin was barely conscious when we got to his side and Mikey called for an ambulance. We all knew that they would come much faster than what we could do for him. If we brought him home to April and Carey so they could get him to the hospital, he would die before they got there. It really sucked sometimes to be a mutant turtle.

Once the ambulance had come and gotten Kevin, we called his parents to let them know what had happened. I wanted to go after the Foot right there but Donny talked me out of it. He told me we should go to their apartment so Raiya wouldn't be alone.

Eight hours later we got a call from Casey that they were on their way home and that Kevin didn't survive.

When the morning came we were on our way home. We hadn't slept for almost two days and we needed to get some sleep. The city slowly woke up and we needed to get into the sewers before it happened. When you're tired you get sloppy and we couldn't afford it. We were an easy target if the Foot decided to show up.

We reached the last building and were on our way to get down to the ally when Donny stopped.

"Did you guys see something?" Donny asked having his gaze out over the roofs.

"See what?" I asked, sounding grumpy and annoyed. I just wanted to get home and sleep in my hammock, not find any more trouble. Normally I wouldn't mind beating the crap out of the Foot or whoever he thought he might have seen. But I was just too tired and cold. I had been out on the roof almost all night.

"I thought I saw…" He began but didn't finish before Mikey cried out.

"OUCH! Something hit me!" Mikey cried out and started spinning and tried to reach something on his back. Donny got to his side pretty quick.

"Mikey stand still" He told Mikey and forced him to stand still.

I scanned the roofs but didn't see anything but I knew someone was out there.

"What is it?" Mikey asked, trying to see over his shoulder.

"A dart" Donny said and then took it out. Mikey cried out and started to complain but I ignored him. "Do you feel anything?"

"Yeah, tired" Mikey said like it was the obvious thing in the world.

"OUCH! What the…" I yelled once a dart had hit my neck. I turned to the direction where it had come from and was about to leap forward until Mikey spoke.

"Hey guys, I don't feel so good" Once I turned around he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Mikey!" I went to his side to see if he was alright. "Mikey, come on, wake up!"

"We have to get out of here" Donny said and bent down so he could take Mikey. "Raph? You OK?"

First I didn't know why he asked. I was tired yeah, he already knew that. Then I started to feel dizzy and I couldn't think straight. Donny was talking to me but I couldn't hear him, it was like I was under water. My vision got blurry and in a second everything went black.

* * *

** To be Continued...**

I hope you liked it and please give me more review! =D It's so fun reading them!  
See ya soon again!


	4. Chapter 4

I have no idea if someone is still reading this, since it's been so long since I updated. I am truly, truly sorry! The reason for that is… well it's a few. One is that I didn't know what was going to happen, and I still have a hard time coming up with ideas. The second; My computer f**king died a few months back and it took this story with it. And all my ideas that I had in the old document… Yeah well you get it.

**SO** **I am asking ****YOU **for help! If you have any ideas, **PLEASE** tell me!

Thank you so much for all your reviews! And the favorites! That is what kept/keeps me going! ^^

* * *

**Too Late**

**Chapter 4: On the Run**

I never thought that I would ever return to America, let alone New York. I had abandoned the city years ago along with my family and friends with not even as much as a goodbye or an explanation. Surly they deserved a better explanation than _'I've had enough_', but that had been the truth. But even if I had explained, they wouldn't have understood. I'm not so sure of the reason myself anymore. Now it just seems silly and childish. Once I had realized that it was too late and I couldn't go back. Even if I could I was sure that my brothers wouldn't want me back. So many years and still nothing have changed in this place and the feelings were still the same. So why did I came back?

My head was pounding hard and I felt like throwing up. I must have gotten a concussion or something. I remember that I had taken a hard hit on my head, not that the pounding, the nausea and the exhaustion was evidence enough to confirm that, but from _who_ was still the question. If it wasn't for the bad feeling in my stomach and the instinct of keep on running then I would have stop and thrown up and then lie down and sleep for weeks. Hell I was so tired.

"Dad, come on just a little bit further…" A familiar voice said in the distance, almost succeeding in overpowering the drum that was rocking like a concert in my head. "Come on… please stay with me…"

Yeah, right. That was why I was back, Tessa. The Foot. Karai. Captured. Right….

I forced myself to consciousness and cracked my eyes open to see the familiar sight of New York's back alleys. It wreaked just the same as I remembered. Not surprising at all. Just what I had missed. I found myself leaning on Tessa while she tried to get us both to the next alley, crossing the one we were at. Behind us I heard a fight but as I turned my head to see who was fighting, we turned the corner before I could get a glimpse. But I could swear I heard one of my brothers' voices, or maybe it was the concussion playing tricks on me, telling me I missed my brothers. But that I already knew.

We had gotten a few houses away before I asked; "The Foot?", but my voice came out in a raspy barely heard voice. Then I burst out into a violent coughing attack and breathing was kind of hard. Hun had done a real good job messing me up, thanks Hun. My throat felt like sandpaper and I realized that I was coughing up blood. Probably a few broken ribs.

We stopped for a few seconds until the coughing stopped and I could breathe again. I ignored my body's protest and took off my weight from Tessa to my own two feet.

"Yeah ,a boy helped us. He told me to go…" She said, worry in her voice. I examine her with my eyes to see if she was injured, she had a few superficial cuts and a few bruises, but nothing serious. Not that the Shredder would hurt her, he still needed her. "He said he could handle it, but I'm not so sure… Maybe I should go back and help-"

"No, we keep on going." I interrupted her. "We have to get out of New York immediately." Once my body had calmed down enough to keep on going, we continued. Even if that group of Foot was occupied for the moment, there was still plenty more out there looking and more than happy to take come and collect their price.

"You're hurt badly, why don't we contact your brothers? Or your friends?" She asked before we exit the alley and hurried on to the next one.

"No" I answered more harshly than I had meant.

"But they can-"

"I said no!" I gave her a stern look, kind of a do-as-I-say-look, which she knew very well, but didn't really comply with if she didn't want to. She sort of did what she wanted. I had no doubt that she and Raphael would bond pretty easily if they would ever meet. I know she wants to meet her uncles, but I had promised to keep her out of New York, and I intended to keep that promise.

"Where to?" She asked, looking at right and then left when we came to the street. I was relieved that it was night and that we were in the part of the city that wasn't active at night times. We didn't need any more trouble. But of course that was bound to happen.

"The docks" I answered simply and determined. "We can find a place to hide there for a while until a boat can take us back to Japan."

It took us more than an hour to get to the docks. I had to lean on Tessa most of the way. My balance and strength had abandoned me as I started to feel the blood lost. She had been quiet the whole time and she was not happy with my decision. She had wanted to go to New York ever since she knew I had brothers here, and when she finally has gotten here, she must leave. We had to hide a few times as a few groups of the Foot passed us, but she never spoke. The closer we got to the docks, the more Foot ninjas it were. They had already figured out that we would try to leave. It was going to be hard to get away unnoticed. Just great, exactly what we need.

We had to stop as a coughing attach started to act up again. It seemed that I was getting worse at the minute. It was a wonder that I hadn't collapsed yet. Some luck was still on our side. I leaned against the wall to a warehouse while Tessa took a peak behind the corner.

"They're everywhere," she whispered. "And they're coming closer! We have to hide!" She turned around and looked for a hiding place. But there were none, only a container.

Fortunately the coughing didn't last as long as the last time. Instead I was breathing hard again and my head had started to spin. I've almost forgotten how it feels like to have a pipe hit against the head.

"We were going to have to fight to get out of here." I said and unsheathed my katanas and handed her one. I had no idea how I was going to be able to fight, but I had to. She took it right away and took a defensive stance. I had thought her the art of ninjutsu just the way I had been though. True, I was no Splinter, but I had been his student and I had been the best of my brothers. She was a far better ninja than I had been in her age and it wasn't my credit, it was the Shredder's scientists. Of course that didn't make me less worried, it made me even more because it wasn't me they were targeting. I've always been overprotective, but I didn't know half of it until I got Tessa to protect.

Not really sure of what to do, I limped over to the corner and took a look around. There were no Foot in sight, but that didn't mean there weren't any. I kept to the shadows and tried to keep quiet as much as possible. It was then the last of my small luck would abandon me. My vision became blurry and it felt like the ground disappeared. I stumbled a few steps before I finally fell to the ground.

Before my vision completely became black, I was the familiar uniforms of the Foot approach and one injected me with something. My last thought was on Tessa, wishing that she escape.

* * *

**Too Be Continued…**

**Review and please give me your ideas if you want to share them ^^  
Thanks!**


End file.
